Becoming a fractional General Counsel
A fractional General Counsel in the UK charges £800 to £1,400 a day and holds two to three clients at once. What follows is the arithmetic on that, the honest ceiling, and the cases where this seat does not work part-time at all.
What you would earn
Across 46 billable weeks rather than 52, because you will take holidays and because a year of unbroken client work is not a thing that happens.
| Day rate | 1 day a week | 2 days a week | 3 days a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out£800 a day | £36,800a year | £73,600a year | £110,400a year |
| Established£1,100 a day | £50,600a year | £101,200a year | £151,800a year |
| Top of the band£1,400 a day | £64,400a year | £128,800a year | £193,200a year |
Before tax, before your own costs, and assuming the days are actually sold. Most people starting out spend a good part of the first year at fewer days than they planned.
What moves you up the band
Still materially below partner-level law firm rates for equivalent seniority.
How many clients the seat holds
Two to three. Contract work is reasonably schedulable; a live negotiation or a dispute is not, and either will take a week without asking.
Where the first client comes from
A company paying a law firm by the hour for things that do not need a law firm, and feeling it. The saving is visible and arithmetic, which makes it the easiest case to make on this list.
What the work actually is
Being the commercial judgement in the room rather than the legal opinion after it. The value is in what gets decided quickly, not in the document.
When this seat does not work fractionally
- There is live litigation, which needs a firm rather than a seat.
- They want specialist advice you are not qualified to give, and will not pay for outside counsel either.
- The volume genuinely justifies a full-time counsel, which happens sooner than founders expect.
What people get wrong
- Giving advice outside your practice area because you are the only lawyer they have.
- Becoming the contract-review queue rather than the commercial judgement.
- Not being clear about what still needs a firm.
The mechanics, briefly
Most UK fractional executives work through their own limited company and invoice per day or on a monthly retainer. Professional indemnity cover is worth having before the first engagement rather than after. Check what your last employment contract says about notice and restrictions before you start approaching anybody, particularly if a first client might be somebody you met there.
Employment status is the question that worries people most, and it is worth understanding properly rather than assuming: IR35 and fractional executives covers who decides, what gets tested, and the directorship point that catches people out.
Common questions
What should I charge as a fractional General Counsel in the UK?
£800 to £1,400 a day is the band on the bench, with a typical rate around £1,100. Still materially below partner-level law firm rates for equivalent seniority. At £1,100 a day, two days a week is about £101,200 a year across 46 billable weeks.
How many clients can a fractional General Counsel hold at once?
Two to three. Contract work is reasonably schedulable; a live negotiation or a dispute is not, and either will take a week without asking.
Where does the first client actually come from?
A company paying a law firm by the hour for things that do not need a law firm, and feeling it. The saving is visible and arithmetic, which makes it the easiest case to make on this list.
When does a fractional General Counsel arrangement not work?
There is live litigation, which needs a firm rather than a seat. They want specialist advice you are not qualified to give, and will not pay for outside counsel either. The volume genuinely justifies a full-time counsel, which happens sooner than founders expect.
Other seats
Hiring one rather than becoming one? What a fractional General Counsel covers and what one costs are the other side of the same numbers.
Listing is free and always will be
No subscription, no commission, and nothing taken from your rate. What listing costs, here and elsewhere, or put yourself on the bench.